G is for Grandma

As I continue participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I'm still sticking with the theme that I chose -- my bucket list.

G is for grandma. I want to be a grandma some day.

Okay, so this isn't really something on my list that I have any control over. I can always travel to places that I want to visit. I can always go back to school, get more education, and get a different job. I can write, act, sing, any of the actionable items on my list.

I cannot make myself a grandma. But I see the wonderful relationship between my daughter and my mother, the love and kindness, the curiosity, the generations between them. I remember my own relationships with my grandmothers, especially Granny, my paternal grandmother, and I want to be the old woman doting on my granddaughter, taking her to the Pizza Inn, helping her plant flowers in the garden, reading her stories.

Great memories to make in the future.

F is for Fresh Food

Ten years ago when we moved to our current home, I attempted a garden. It wasn't really much: three short rows with a few hills of tomatoes, okra, and green peppers. The okra produced way more than my husband and I could enjoy. After two weeks of fried and stewed okra almost every night with dinner, we were done.

I grew up with lots of fresh foods at the table. My dad always plotted out at least a 20x20 spot for planting vegetables: tomatoes (large and cherry), butter beans, peppers (red and green, sweet and hot), okra, pole beans, carrots, potatoes. And there was always a short row where I was allowed to plant flowers, usually zinnias.

I would love to be able to plant and maintain a REAL vegetable garden at some point in my life. While a big 20x20 plot isn't in my future this summer, maybe my daughter and I will attempt to plant a few seeds and a few hills of something.

Fresh food. It's what's for dinner!

E is for (New) England

Some of my friends think I'm odd that I really don't have a lot of desire to travel overseas. I really enjoy traveling in the U.S., and I'd rather visit the few states that I still haven't seen. That's why today's Blogging from A to Z Challenge entry from my bucket list theme is "E is for (New) England".


I really want to take a late summer or an early fall trip up through the New England states. I think the cooler temperatures and the beautiful scenery would be just what this gal would love! While I have been to Boston for another ALA conference, we didn't really have time to go sightseeing. (The fact that it was mid-January and snowing didn't help either!) I want to visit the lighthouses of Maine and eat some lobster. I want to see the incredible foliage of Vermont. I want to learn more about Paul Revere in Massachusetts. I want to walk the historic campus of Yale University in Connecticut.

I should call my travel agent!

D is for Disney World

I was 35 years old when I finally went to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Two other friends, also in their 30's, and I decided to attend the American Library Association's annual conference in June of 2004. Since it was in Orlando, we added on a side trip to Disney. (Well, truth be told, the conference was more of the side trip!)

I had so much fun, playing and exploring like a kid, enjoying the thrilling rides and taking in the entertaining shows. And of course, we ate lots of yummy foods at the themed restaurants.

I want to go to Disney World again, but this time with my daughter who is currently five years old. I want to experience Disney with her! It should be awesome!

Raise your hand if you are ready to go to Disney with us!

C is for Carriage Ride in Central Park

As I work my way through my bucket list for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, today is the letter 'C'. I want to take a carriage ride in Central Park in New York some day. I have taken a carriage ride in Charleston, SC, touring historic downtown, and that was a lovely experience. But I have never been to New York City, and it only seems fitting to take a carriage ride (romantic with my sweetie, of course) through Central Park.

B is for Book

I've been writing short stories and story ideas for years, but I've never had the guts to put anything together to submit for publication. Other than a few professional articles, I know that I need to pull some of my short stories and submit them to magazines, journals, papers, somewhere for publication. Ultimately, I would love to see the short stories put together in a book. I've also been writing stories, chapters about my Southern girl upbringing that I would like to see put together in a book.

So B is for Book. Maybe you would read it!

A is for Alaska

For the Blogging A-Z Challenge, I decided to pick a theme: my bucket list. I found my list that I wrote over 12 years ago and realize that I have accomplished many of the items on the list. So I'll certainly be revising the list as I go. Here's one of the items still on my bucket list:

ALASKA

Lots of people put travel on their lists of things they want to do before they die. I want to go to Alaska. I think it would be incredible to travel to the 49th state, especially to fly into Anchorage or Juneau and explore the state and then head to port to take an Alaskan cruise. At least two of my good friends have gone on Alaskan trips with their husbands. They came back with gorgeous photographs of the landscape and enthusiastic stories of their travels. So an Alaskan trip and cruise make my bucket list.

Anybody ready to book a trip with me?!